Opening 15 Minutes Analysis - The Machinist - Joe Sheldon

The Machinist - Analysis

Through the opening 15 minutes of The Machinist (Dir. Anderson, 2005), we are introduced to various themes. Many of the shots have low-key lighting, establishing a running theme of darkness within the life of the character. The opening shot is dim, with a man rolling a body in a carpet barely visible. He approaches the window, establishing that he does not want to be seen and is trying to hide his acts. The overlaid title text is extremely typewriter-like, which foreshadows his job and life working around machinery and metals. The wide shot shows his facia expression, which appears to remain calm even though he is committing a murder. Trevor then pulls out a lighter and ignites a cigarette, which would suggest that he is not concerned for his health or wellbeing, hinting at the psychological problems that he faces.

After he dumps the body, he washes his hands meticulously with bleach to hide the evidence. However, later we see him scrub his bathroom equally as well with bleach, perhaps suggesting that he has a psychological obsession with cleanliness. The shot [right] with shallow focus on a torch is used to juxtapose the dark settings, and to show that while Trevor has the option of light, he chooses dark. This is reflective of how he has the choice to turn to either of the early-established love interests in his life but chooses darkness and murder instead. The use of a wide shot can capture both the torch and his actions, making it a good fit for this sequence.

His workplace is shown as equally dark; there is the non-diegetic sound of a ticking clock in the background to represent Trevor's insomnia and, unlike some of the other workers, his station does not have light shining on it. Every worker is in a full boiler suit, suggesting it is a repetitive and similar job. In contrast, the room in which he speaks to a café worker later is light and clean, juxtaposing his world and hers.